Normani Kordei Hamilton.
It's happening again. The me being up early thing. But today is Saturday, and that means two things.
1) There are no "rehearsals" or whatever it's called today.
2) I have to call my father today. I would stall, but if I don't, I probably never will.
I sit up, and stare at my phone on the dresser for a while. I so badly want to reach out and grab it and call my father, but I don't want to be yelled at just yet. And like I said, I refuse to stall. I'll call him tonight.
At eight. I'll call him at eight. I'll even put a reminder on my phone. I take a deep breath as I clear all notifications and add a new alarm for eight pm. That's when he's going to bed, he'll have time to talk.
I haul myself out of bed and into the bathroom, getting ready for my shower and everything else. I can't stay dirty throughout the day. It's just not possible.
When I'm done, I pull on a pair of black sweats and make my way into the living room to walk through to the kitchen. Everything is really quiet, so that means that Dinah is still asleep. I don't want to wake her, but she's been my home and transport provider, so I owe her breakfast and something more, but breakfast is the only thing that I can afford right now.
I do the usual routine, washing the dishes first because I can't cook in a dirty kitchen, and I begin making the usual. Bacon and eggs, and this time with another side of cheese grillers, hopefully she would be satisfied.
After eating breakfast on my own, I wash my dishes and retire back to my "bedroom", tidying up around the room. I hated living in a filthy or disorganised place. It just wasn't me.
I decided to sort out my clothes as well. Dinah brought me some hangers to hang my jackets and dresses with last night, so I may as well make use of those. I first make the bed, and then dump all of my stuff that would need hanging on top of it.
I first hang the dresses, and then Arin's jacket, and then my own, but while I open it, a small plastic container falls out.
I furrow my brows and pick it up, recognising it as the cassette that Arielle gave me on the night of my departure. It still looked in quite good condition, but it was old. Like maybe ten years or so old. And who still used cassettes anyways?
I put it aside as I begin to sort things that weren't my clothes in my bag. The first thing I came across, was the tiny suitcase that had contained memories of my mother. I was too emotional to open it, but I did anyways, finding what was inside another sign of God.
A tiny cassette player.
I put it aside as well, closing the suitcase afterwards. I didn't want to have to cry.
I then shifted the suitcase aside and opened the box, smiling at what was inside. All the memories. Polaroid pictures, a photo album, my mother's diary (But I would keep that for another time).
I first opened the picture album, thumbing through the pictures of my friends and I. I couldn't take the family album, because I know that my father often looked through that one.
Most of the pictures were of Ashlee, Arielle, Ally and Arin and I, but others contained my other friends who used to live in the city before, who left. Like Jilly.
I smile at the picture of my beautiful eyed best friend and I standing in front of the city hall before one of our huge performances. I remember this day as if it was yesterday.
Jilly and I were great friends, we hung out all the time, but then she moved and I didn't hear from her again. That was five years ago. I still miss her.
